Cowser recognized with national award for governmental engagement

HAMMOND - Erin Moore Cowser, executive director of public and governmental affairs at Southeastern Louisiana University, has been recognized with a national award for leadership in state relations and institutional advocacy.Cowser, a member of the executive staff at Southeastern since 2007, received the Edwin Crawford Award for innovations in governmental advocacy at the recent Higher Education Government Relations Conference in Austin, Tex. The award is administered by the American Association of Community Colleges, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).In his letter nominating Cowser for the award, Southeastern President John L. Crain noted her successful efforts to rejuvenate Southeastern’s governmental relations by recruiting alumni and community partners to serve as vocal advocates in support of the university.“Having worked to foster collaborations spanning the entire north shore, reaching across Lake Pontchartrain to the south shore and stretching to Baton Rouge and beyond, Erin has earned the trust and respect of both business and community leaders,” Crain said. “She is a leader who can forge relationships across many varied realms.”Cowser played a key role in developing Southeastern’s ROAR (Reach Out – Advocate –Rally) Network, which provides online information about the university’s governmental affairs efforts. Other projects under her leadership include Southern Nights, now called North Shore Focus, an event at the state Capitol that has evolved from a social occasion to one-on-one advocacy about specific legislation and policies, and the Hammond Chamber Hobnob, an event that provides a platform for the business community and other constituents to inform elected officials about their legislative priorities.A member of the Hammond Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, she serves as chair of the chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee. She is a graduate of the New Orleans Leadership Institute and Leadership St. Tammany West and was recently named one of the “North Shore’s Finest” by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and “Inside Northside” magazine.The award is presented in honor of Edwin Crawford, a former director of public affairs and state relations at CASE, Auburn University, the University of Virginia, Ohio State University and the University of California System.